- The Antonov AN-2 were designed in 1947 and have old-fashioned radial engines
- The propeller-driven biplanes can carry up to one tonne of cargo or 10 troops
- Pilots can even get the aircraft to fly ‘backwards’ if they face a strong headwind
- The aircraft are designed to land on incredibly rough and short strips or roads
North Korean despot Kim Jong-un is preparing his special forces for suicide parachute missions across the border on 70-year-old Stalin era biplanes.
The dictator has a fleet of 300 Antonov An-2 transport aircraft which are capable of flying as slow as 30 miles-per-hour and can even go backwards into a heavy headwind.
Footage has emerged of North Korean paratroops jumping from the aged aircraft from very low levels in a show of force.
Kim Jong-un has around 300 Antonov An-2 aircraft which were designed in 1947
Kim Jong-un, pictured at the controls of one of the ancient aircraft was observing drills involving his elite paratroops who jumped out of the aircraft during a training mission
The Antonov has an incredibly low stalling speed and a very low radar profile meaning it is difficult to spot at night when flown at low level
The aircraft, which were designed in 1947, have an incredibly low radar profile – meaning they are difficult to track using conventional radar. They also fly at such a slow speed that modern anti-aircraft systems are programmed to ignore their limited returns.
Also, the aircraft can hug the earth meaning ground-based missile systems will not pick them up and supersonic attack jets will find difficulty in detecting them from above.
The bottom of the wings and the fuselage of Kim’s fleet of aircraft have been painted blue with the top of the wings is green as a form of camouflage to prevent both ground troops and aircraft spotting them.
The images released by North Korean media show the paratroops bailing out of the aircraft at incredibly low levels.
If they attempted their mission at night it could be difficult for defending missile units and air-to-air fighters to successfully intercept the old-fashioned machines.
North Korean paratroops performed for the cameras in a show of force, pictured
According to The Drive, the aircraft could even land on short sections of road, allowing their troops to disembark and begin a sneak attack.
It is feared the old aircraft could even deliver a nuclear bomb – possibly in a suicide attack into a strategically vital location.
It is believed North Korea has at least 1,000 artillery pieces within striking range of Seoul, the South Korean capital, which is home to 25 million people.
Kim has claimed North Korea now has technology to miniaturise its nuclear weapons to fit onto an ballistic missile.
North Korea could potentially load a bomb onto the back of an An-2 – with its one-tonne cargo capacity – and detonate it over the south.